


One Night Can Make All the Difference

by Miyanoai



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi bonding with the party, Fluff, M/M, Shipping is subtle, Zine: P5 Sleepover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 02:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19938571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyanoai/pseuds/Miyanoai
Summary: He really should have said no. But Ren just kept opposing his excuses. And it had been a long, if ever, since he had been invited to something so normal.Post-canon story about the former thieves having a slumber party and Ren inviting Akechi. My entry for the P5 Sleepover zine.





	One Night Can Make All the Difference

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so very honored to have been accepted as a writer for the P5 Sleepover Zine: Starlight. Naturally I wrote something Goro Akechi themed and this is my piece. On top of that I got to collab with my waifu [HellaKumi](https://twitter.com/HellaKumii), whose piece I included at the bottom.

It was an anomaly really. Seeing the infamous Phantom Thieves that once took Japan by storm acting like simple... teenagers. Not that Goro had known them to be anything else but he certainly had never been close enough to them (for good reason) to witness a sight like this:

Sakura and Sakamoto furiously smashing buttons on controllers as they played an intense round of some fighter game, Takamaki sitting behind Sakura on the bed, trying to pull her hair into some twin bun updo, Kitagawa, Niijima and Okumura sitting off to the side with various items for manicures and polishes as Kitagawa seemed to be enjoying doing nail art on Niijima’s fingers a little too much. The cat was also there, sitting next to Takamaki and watching the game, occasionally making wry comments, usually at Sakamoto. 

All of them were wearing some form of nightwear incredibly complimenting their personalities. There were also various snacks and drinks divided among them.

Goro stared at the scene, almost entranced until he felt a bump at his shoulder. Amamiya… Ren… stood next to him with a small smile, offering a bundle of his own clean sweats.

“I’m pretty sure these should fit. Sorry, I didn’t have any that had A’s on them.” The last line was said in jest but Goro still flushed and denied owning any as well (despite it being a lie).

Walking down to the bathroom to change, he reflected on how he ended up in this position. It had been almost a year since the fiasco. His revenge plot, which he could now admit was rather convoluted, the conception of the Phantom Thieves, his investigation of them and eventual fake alliance, all leading up to betrayal and a confrontation that changed his life. Once he’d realized his plans were moot due to Shido’s insight, he’d genuinely switched sides. They’d been softer on him after he saved their lives and they discovered everything had been set up by a literal malevolent, divine source, but it had still hadn’t been easy. Ren had gone home at the end of his probation and Goro had been left alone, once in a while attempting to reconvene with the others though minor interactions.

And though he knew he should have, he couldn’t find it in himself to stay away from LeBlanc’s coffee and atmosphere. Sakura-san still welcomed him as a patron and thus he had taken to coming once a week. When Ren came to visit for the summer, he caught on to it quickly and had taken to working those particular days. Goro couldn’t find it himself to change his schedule. It was during one of these visits when close to closing time, Sakura had barged in, with a large backpack strapped to her, and ran upstairs, barely acknowledging them. Ren hadn’t been concerned as he was now staying at the Sakura residence and the attic had been converted to their own private hang out spot.

Eventually she was followed by the rest of the crew, appearing in one’s or two’s, all carrying their own hefty bags. Ren’s amusement was evident when Goro looked at him in confusion. 

“Futaba was talking about slumber parties she used to have a long time ago with her friend and missed them. We decided to have one of our own.” he explained with a shrug. Goro raised an eyebrow at that.

“Aren’t you all a bit old for that type of stuff?” He’d never been to one before of course, but from what he’d heard they seemed to be more of a kid’s appeal… or younger teen girls at the most.

Ren only shrugged once more.

“I guess we’ll find out. In fact, why don’t you join us and see for yourself?” That one line struck a chord with Goro. He didn’t realize being invited to something normal could do that. Of course, he tried to decline. 

He wasn’t prepared with an overnight stay. Ren had extra toiletries and would let him borrow anything else. 

He didn’t know how to behave. Neither would a few of the others apparently. 

He didn’t want to intrude with his presence. Ren had paused at that one before smiling again. 

“I know you’ve been trying to make up properly with everyone. Wouldn’t this be a perfect chance to hang out with them altogether? Let loose and have some fun for a change?” It had been hard to argue anymore after that. 

And so, back up the stairs he went, clad in a cotton black shirt and green sweatpants. Upon his return, Ren showed him where he could stash his clothes for the night and went to change himself, leaving him alone. Well, not really.

“Oh screw it! You’re clearly using some kinds of cheat codes.” Sakamoto suddenly shouted, slamming the controller to the side.

“You’re up against me and you thought you could win? Besides, I don’t need cheat codes to beat you. You’re bad on your own.” Sakura replied, prompting Sakamoto to get up and start going through his bag and pulling out a deck of cards.

“Fine then. Let’s try something that doesn’t require a controller.”

“Cards games require a good amount of strategizing and bluffing. You sure you’re up for that Ryuji?” Morgana quipped from his perch.

“Oh shut up! This is Uno. It’s all luck.” As they went on, Goro wondered if they ever even noticed he was there until Takamaki spoke up. 

“Oh hey Akechi! Thank god! I had run out of people. Can you sit over here?” 

“Uh…” was all he could reply with as he followed her directions anyway, carefully stepping around the duo and their cards. He sat down on the bed next to her rigidly and she shuffled behind him.

“Futaba won’t stop moving and no one else has long enough hair. Can I do yours?” He stared blankly as she barely waited for him to nod before she started treading her fingers through his locks. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure what “doing one’s hair” referred to in this setting. Sure he figured he could use a haircut after so long, but he would much rather leave that longer lasting effect to professionals. Thankfully, though, there were no scissors in sight, and the brushing felt nice at least.

“Oh you’d probably look great with some side braids,” she decided.

“Ah, Takamaki-san…” he began.

“It’s Ann silly!” she interrupted casually as she kept brushing.

“A-ann. I doubt I’d look that good with them.”

“I think they’d look great.” Ren chimed in, having returned and plopped on the bed on his stomach next to him, hugging a large pillow he’d grabbed. Goro was conflicted between blushing and pointing out that no one asked him but instead settled with quietly agreeing. Ann got to work and he was forced to face the card game as she did.

Not to say it wasn’t amusing. Within the few minutes Sakamoto had already accumulated double the amount of his starting cards and was insisting on that game being rigged as well. 

“Can you even rig a game like that? Aren’t most card games dependent on luck?” Okumura spoke up questioningly. Kitagawa had finished with Niijima’s nails and had moved on to hers. She sat alarmingly still as he worked, observing the game while also drinking coffee from a porcelain cup. It seemed she too had no qualms about the warnings of drinking it at night. Unless of course it was decaf.

“Nah, you can usually rig card games with shuffle skills but that’s not my forte. Ryuji just has bad luck.” 

“Dude, there is NO WAY you actually got three pick four cards in a row!”

“Sure. Lemme just pull out the extra cards I have hidden up my sleeves!” she raised her hands up dramatically, showing off her arms, bare, due to her tank top. Goro didn’t bother to mention that there were plenty of other ways to hide cards as he absent-mindedly started petting Morgana next to him. Thankfully, the sentient cat didn’t seem to mind.

The two began quarreling again with Okumura giggling about it this time.

“It does look like fun. Perhaps I could join you two in the next game? If Yusuke finishes in time of course.” She looked over at the artist who was still concentrating intently on her nails.

“Art like this cannot be rushed. Nor can any art. They’ll need time to dry as well.” he muttered.

“Oh of course. They are looking absolutely stunning though.”

“Hey Yusuke, do me next, will you?” Goro raised an eyebrow when he heard Ren ask that, but nobody else seemed to consider it odd. Kitagawa merely glanced up and smiled. 

“Certainly. Would you also like a turn, Akechi-kun?” Goro was once again taken aback by the acknowledgment.

“Oh, no thank you Kitagawa-kun.” Kitagawa frowned at that, but not for the reason he thought.

“Really now, I should think that by now, being in a position of sharing a sleeping space, one would be entitled to a first name basis, would you not agree?” 

“Oh. Yes, I suppose…” he answered slowly, deciphering what he was referring to. 

“Excellent,” Yusuke nodded, going back to painting small, intricate flowers. “I’m sure the others would agree as well.” 

“Yeah dude, it’s cool. That stuff’s behind us.” It was surprisingly Ryuji who spoke up that time. “It’s not like we think you’re gonna murder us in our sleep anymore.”

“RYUJI!” Ann shouted, throwing the hairbrush she had at him.

“Ow! Sorry! Too soon?” he foolishly asked.

“Not cool, man.” Ren deadpanned, glancing at Goro with concern.

“You’re an idiot, Ryuji…” he heard Morgana mumble. 

“I really appreciate that sentiment.” Goro spoke up before another fight could break out. They all looked at him with confusion while he flashed back his tv smile. The joke may have been in poor taste but amazingly, he didn’t recognize any real resentment from it. And frankly he had a point considering their past. 

This, thankfully, was enough to calm the crowd. Ann went to go pick up the hairbrush, declaring that she was finished anyway. Goro held up a handheld mirror that was in the pile of accessories she’d brought with her and examined her work. He really did look nice with the tiny braids she tied together, certainly not in a way he could do on his own. In the corner of the mirror, he noticed Ren’s annoying smirk at being right and turned away from him to hide his reddening face, placing the mirror down with a big more extra force than was necessary. He heard the former phantom thief leader chuckle and stand up from the bed to sit next to Yusuke for his turn. 

Sighing, he glanced behind him to see Niijima, who had been sitting behind Ann the whole time, being eerily silent. She had her nose in a book, turning the pages carefully as to not disturb her drying nails. Curiosity got the better of him, and he scooted a little closer to look over her shoulder, trying not to disturb Morgana with his shuffling. 

From the looks of it, the book’s insides were almost formatted like a magazine, with pictures in the corners and sides. It looked a bit premature for something expected of Niijima to be reading actually. At the top of the page, he could barely make out the words “Games for Slumber Parties” as a chapter title and he realized what the book was.

“Niijima-san, are you-” This caused her to jump and immediately hide the book under her covers.

“Ah, y-yes? Akechi-kun, can I help you?” Her reaction was pretty cute but she would probably kill him if he ever said that out loud.

“Are you… reading a book on sleepovers?” he asked carefully. She immediately shushed him, looking over to see if anyone had heard. The rest were too preoccupied with other matters thankfully.

“Okay… yes. This party was decided so abruptly and I didn’t have time to study up on them. I mean they can’t be that different than regular hang outs right?” Her voice was low when she spoke. It would have never occurred to Goro to actually research on such a thing but that was Niijima for you; always trying to be prepared.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to one either.” he admitted.

“Oh. I see…” She glanced down at her book in thought. “I suppose it was silly of me to assume I’d be the only one. Come to think of it, I guess I can’t really imagine Yusuke or Haru having been to one either.”

“Well, Yusuke did stay over here once last year if that counts.” Morgana informed, perking one eye open. “But no one’s going to condemn you two for not knowing what to do. You should just try to have fun.” It was such simple advice, yet something the both of them had always struggled with growing up. Ren had mentioned the same thing too. He needed to simply let loose.

“Well I’m sure I can manage that. I don’t know about Niijima though.” he teased, feeling playful all of the sudden.

“Hey, I am _plenty_ capable of having fun.” she responded, only mildly annoyed. “And well, Yusuke is right by the way. Despite any rivalry, I believe we’ve gotten to the point where we can use our given names.” 

“I suppose he is,” Goro answered offhandedly, a little shocked at all the development he was experiencing tonight.

The night went on with more rounds of card games, each becoming louder than the previous.

  
“Guys, maybe we should move on to something else before this gets violent.” Ren eventually proclaimed over the increasing shouts.

“Oh I brought Monopoly?” Ann suggested. 

“I was thinking more like a movie? I rented a few. We can take a vote on it.” He gestured next to the tv where a stack of DVDs of various genres sat. After a rigorous session of votes, they decided on a mystery, horror film. Makoto seemed to be the only who wasn’t fond of the choice but she seemed more willing after seeing Okumura’s enthusiasm for it, and only if she was allowed to sit next to her.

After preparing multiple bowls of popcorn, they gathered around the tv, some of them sitting on the couch, others the floor or chairs. Goro stayed back on the bed, his eyesight thankfully being good enough to see the subtitles on the small screen. They weren’t needed because it was a foreign film, but because of the constant outbursts of predictions or scares. One would have considered the movie ruined from that but having never really watched one with people he could call friends before, Goro actually found it amusing instead, and soon joined in, managing to figure out where the obvious killer was hiding his dead bodies. He was met with playful responses of it being expected due to him being a detective. 

When the movie ended, they were surprised to find Yusuke had managed to fall asleep despite all the noise.

“Whelp, you all know what that means!” Ryuji snickered while pulling out a marker. He began drawing small doodles all over his face.

“Ryuji! That’s cruel!” Makoto chided sternly as if he were a child.

“Hey, it’s the golden rule. Whoever falls asleep first gets pranked.” Goro certainly didn’t know that. He made a mental note for the future should by some miracle the situation come up again.

“You guys should follow his example. It’s already one a.m.” 

“Really Mona? Even at a slumber party?” Ren eyed him with an exasperated look. The cat only flicked his tail in response.

“Well, I’m getting pretty tired too. We may as well get our bags ready.” Ann agreed and began pulling out a sleeping bag from her pile of stuff. The others complied, doing the same.

“Man you guys are such amateurs.” he heard Sakura mumble, despite her pulling her own pillows out. “Kana and I would totally stay up all night doing stuff.” It was then she noticed Goro had yet to move from his spot. “Don’t tell me it’s too much for the detective prince to sleep on a floor.” 

“Oh...no actually.” Goro admitted. “I’m rather used to it.” Sakura perked an eyebrow. 

“Are you serious?” He nodded slowly in response. 

“I believe you were there when I disclosed the fact that I had grown up in multiple foster homes. There weren’t always enough beds and caretakers didn’t usually care.” His voice got quieter as he spoke. “I guess it’s not a matter of I can’t but rather that it brings back bad memories.”

Sakura was silent for a moment, probably remembering her own past. Goro had read her file and had learned of the things her uncle had done to her, but he would never admit knowing. Suddenly she looked up at him and placed her hands on her hips.

“Well then you just gotta replace them with better memories! Watch!” Pulling out a large plastic bag that seemed to be filled with nothing but sheets, she started tossing them in the space between the couch and the work desk. She used the two to keep another one levitated, adjusting it until she’d made what looked to be a makeshift tent. She then stashed a bunch of pillows and a blanket inside, along with her laptop.

“Tada! Kana and I would always make forts at our sleepovers. So now I make them whenever I wanna remember those times. You could do the same.” As childish as it sounded, it did make him chuckle. 

“Replacing the bad memories, huh? You really are resilient, Sakura-san.” Her optimism after everything she had been through really was inspiring. She only scoffed in response.

“Sakura-san is what you call Sojiro. Don’t make me sound old, you dolt!” With that, she entered her fort, peeking out one last time to add: “And no chans either. Coming from you, it sounds patronizing.” She closed the flap. Despite her words, Goro didn’t sense any actual animosity from her. He sighed, looking around, wondering if there were any extra blankets. He knew he wouldn’t have enough to attempt to make his own fort, so he would trudge through the night, hopefully warm at least.

It was then that Ren tugged on his sleeve. He glanced back to see a nervous smile on the other’s face. 

“I was actually gonna let you share the bed with me since I invited you last minute and all.” he said shyly, probably overhearing the earlier conversation.

“Is this your way of tricking me into sleeping with you?” Goro teased with a raised eyebrow. He had no idea where the sudden boldness came from and immediately regretted it. Ren only coughed in a fluster.

“I could take the couch otherwise?” Somehow no one had taken it. Yusuke probably planned to but instead they just tossed a blanket over him. Goro thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

“No… I suppose it should be fine.” he answered, immediately scooting as close to the wall as he could. He didn’t want to steal his sleeping space but also, he _really_ didn’t want to take the couch himself. It did not look comfortable at all to sleep on. He didn’t see Ren’s reaction but he did feel a weight settle next to him. The rest of them all settled in various spots all over the floor and soon the lights were flushed out.

“Oh my god, Ren. It’s beautiful!” he heard Ann exclaim. He didn’t have to ask what she was referring to. Above them, the ceiling twinkled with multiple plastic stars stuck all over. Goro turned onto his back to fully appreciate the sight. There was just enough light created from them that he could see Ren’s knowing smile from the corner of his eye.

“Yusuke got me a few of these after a trip to the planetarium once,” he explained. “The other day I decided to buy another obnoxious amount to do this. Glad to see it was worth it.” 

And it was. Staring up, Goro was able to imagine himself simply floating through space. It was a silly whim. One of many he used to have as a child. But combined with the warmth next to him that he’d never experienced and the quiet whispers of those still indulging in late night chatter, he was able to drift into one of the best sumbers he’d ever had, simply from the knowledge of being surrounded by those who genuinely accepted him.

\--

He was awoken by a pleasant smell of all things, instead of the light breaking through the curtains or any noise like he expected. Sitting up, he looked around and saw he now had the bed to himself. In fact the only ones left in the attic were Ryuji and Futaba, who were still asleep. He sluggishly got up and tiptoed across the room and down the stairs where he found the rest of them. Ann and Makoto were chatting in one of the booths. Yusuke and Morgana were sitting at the counter, with the former looking disapprovingly at the hand mirror and mumbling to himself.

“The anatomy is just horrendous. There was clearly no artistic effort put into it. And… is that supposed to be a snake or…?

“Oh, good, you’ve awoken.” He nearly jumped as Okumura appeared next to him. She seemed to come out of the kitchen area where Ren standing and cooking whatever had woken him up. It couldn’t be. 

“Ren was excited to make these for you.” In her hands, she held a plate of large, fluffy pancakes. Goro gaped at them. “I’m quite hungry myself, but I’ll let you take the first pick, Goro.” As she went to place them on the counter, his gawk was redirected to what she had called him.

“O-okumura, you…” 

“Oh?” She looked at him questioningly. “Didn’t we agree on using first names last night?”

“You… I didn’t think… you’d want to be included in that…” he faltered, looking to the side. After everything that had happened, she had the most reason to reject any interactions with him. She hadn’t even spoken to him directly throughout the night. She understood his surprise, though, and folded her hands together.

“It is true that I was hesitant. And I still cannot forgive you for everything. However I do believe in moving forward and trying to better oneself. If you are willing to do that then… I am at least willing to try to give you a chance.” She gave him a small smile and a nod and went back to the kitchen as if she hadn’t just spoken something incredibly groundbreaking to him. 

He barely registered Ren walking up to him next. 

“They’ll get cold soon you know,” he said casually, glancing at the pancakes. Goro couldn’t even care.

“Thank you.” he stated, too serious to be referring to the breakfast. “For inviting me. I really enjoyed it.” Ren only smiled that stupid, heartwarming smile again.

“I’m glad to hear it. And I’m really glad you ended up joining. After all,” he started walking back to the stove. “It was planned for you in the first place.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Twitter at [Miyanoai](https://twitter.com/miyanoai)


End file.
